Abundance has real value when shared

Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 05:30 PM.

The blessings we should remember today look all the more plentiful when viewed against the needs of others in our area that are less fortunate. A truly thankful spirit not only celebrates the abundance but shares it.

Consider that we live in an area that, statistically at least, is one of the poorest in the state. About 22 percent of Lenoir County’s population lives below the federal poverty level. Though down a tick or two recently, unemployment has hovered at 10 percent or above for nearly four years. The estimated median family income is about $14,000 below the state average. About 25 percent of the population is Medicaid eligible.

For the good people who work with one of the numerous nonprofits, churches and other charitable organizations that try to bridge the gap between needing and having enough, it’s not hard to put a face on those numbers — youngsters who go without food or head into winter without warm clothes, elderly neighbors forced to choose between paying bills or buying medicine, parents helpless to provide.

Whose place is it to help?

Those who know the real value of abundance understand that it is their place to help. As we move into what has been called the “giving season,” the people of Lenoir and neighboring counties have ample opportunity to turn prayers of thanks into acts of generosity. Among them are:

— Clothing drives sponsored by various businesses, churches and civic organizations, among them OneMain Financial, which is working with the Salvation Army, to sponsor a clothing drive through Nov. 30. Donations should be taken to the OneMain Financial branch at 506 Plaza Blvd. For more information, call 252-522-3211. The Free Press will publicize other clothing drives as they occur.

— Fundraising campaigns sponsored by several nonprofits, providing one last opportunity for donors to make a tax-exempt contribution before the end of the year. Among those year-end efforts is that of Lenoir/Greene United Way, which supports the work of 16 nonprofits in the two counties. You don’t have to wait to be contacted to make a donation; call 252-527-0734. Another year-end campaign benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Lenoir County, which works with young people ages 6 to 18 and has more than 200 members. To help the Boys & Girls Club, call 252-686-0961.

The blessings we should remember today look all the more plentiful when viewed against the needs of others in our area that are less fortunate. A truly thankful spirit not only celebrates the abundance but shares it.

Consider that we live in an area that, statistically at least, is one of the poorest in the state. About 22 percent of Lenoir County’s population lives below the federal poverty level. Though down a tick or two recently, unemployment has hovered at 10 percent or above for nearly four years. The estimated median family income is about $14,000 below the state average. About 25 percent of the population is Medicaid eligible.

For the good people who work with one of the numerous nonprofits, churches and other charitable organizations that try to bridge the gap between needing and having enough, it’s not hard to put a face on those numbers — youngsters who go without food or head into winter without warm clothes, elderly neighbors forced to choose between paying bills or buying medicine, parents helpless to provide.

Whose place is it to help?

Those who know the real value of abundance understand that it is their place to help. As we move into what has been called the “giving season,” the people of Lenoir and neighboring counties have ample opportunity to turn prayers of thanks into acts of generosity. Among them are:

— Clothing drives sponsored by various businesses, churches and civic organizations, among them OneMain Financial, which is working with the Salvation Army, to sponsor a clothing drive through Nov. 30. Donations should be taken to the OneMain Financial branch at 506 Plaza Blvd. For more information, call 252-522-3211. The Free Press will publicize other clothing drives as they occur.

— Fundraising campaigns sponsored by several nonprofits, providing one last opportunity for donors to make a tax-exempt contribution before the end of the year. Among those year-end efforts is that of Lenoir/Greene United Way, which supports the work of 16 nonprofits in the two counties. You don’t have to wait to be contacted to make a donation; call 252-527-0734. Another year-end campaign benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Lenoir County, which works with young people ages 6 to 18 and has more than 200 members. To help the Boys & Girls Club, call 252-686-0961.

— Christmas toy drives. We recommend Operation Community Christmas for a couple of reasons. One, it’s sponsored by The Free Press, working with the Salvation Army in Kinston; and, two, the toys donated to Operation Community Christmas stay in Lenoir County and benefit Lenoir County families.

The drive kicks off Friday. We’re looking for new, unwrapped toys for children, infants to 14 years old. The toys can be dropped off at The Free Press office at 2103 N. Queen St. or at the Salvation Army headquarters at 2110 N. Queen St. Checks made out to the Salvation Army Toy Drive can be mailed to The Free Press, P.O. Box 129, Kinston, N.C. 28502.

The drive closes Dec. 17.

Last year, the toy drive brought Christmas to more than a thousand families here. Expectations are that this year, the need will be as great. We feel sure the sense of generosity will be, too.